#14 | Tag, Kraków, Poland
Last Visit: May 2023
A faint yellow light turning on right as the clock marks the opening hour. Yellow symbols on the entrance. An unassuming, large door at the edge of Kraków's old city center. People who ring the doorbell here and have known the city for a while, might feel like they are waiting for a spot in Mercy Brown, which is only a few steps away in a strikingly similar building. People who have taken a look at the menu might feel like they are going to the Trust or Artist or Neon or Gin Mill (some of those places have their own reviews, do check them out) or some of the other modern bars pushing creative drinking in the city.
What Tag (or TAG, but for readability we will stick with Tag) achieved in the few years of its existence, though, is just another sign of the changing times for the Polish bar scene and the exponential growth happening here. It finds its niche among the more 'classic', more 'spirit focused' and more 'hospitality oriented' bars successfully. With the World Class competition gaining notoriety here, its winners, as is the ‘tradition’ in other countries, are often encouraged to open up their own places. The same did indeed happen for Tag. My very first visit was during the first month after they had opened, and maybe in a similarity to Grid, I left happy but unimpressed. Something about the expectations of a national World Class winner opening up their own bar, that makes those first months maybe particularly difficult.
Tag is a speakeasy in the sense that visual cues and labels lead to its door, and ringing the bell is required. After being let in through the front door, guests enter a very characteristic Kraków hallway and more yellow paint (plus a little product placement) awaits. An old staircase leads up to a salon-like arrangement of rooms, decorated with well known pieces of art adapted to fit the 'street art’ aesthetic. The interior is less opulent than at other places, the atmosphere purposefully less serious. This is especially true being there in person, it is a popular spot frequently drawing lively people and the staff in their workwear inspired overalls are quick to strike up a conversation. The bar itself opts for an industrial feel, painted over with a clubhouse vibe. Think of the backroom at a private university club, set up in an old art studio. All the branded bottles are hooked up to the ceiling and the rest are organically part of the workstation. Tag is, fittingly, incorporating the artistic spirit of Kraków, its history of old backyards and backrooms, as well as the more colorful (pun intended) impact of contemporary art and Eastern Europe finding its voice through newfound creativity.
I have tried all the different menus, except one, with the very first offering some updated classics, introduction of deconstructed drinks and straightforward, unchallenging flavors. A modern, cleaner Piña Colada, nutty Highballs and Dirty Martinis. Tag was and is build around the set ideas of its team, much more than just off-the-cuff custom orders. The selection of spirits makes that clear, and I thought that compared to the other bars in the city and in Poland, the first menu was just a little too tame to be memorable.
Then came 2022 and a Polish bar suddenly appeared in the World's Best Bars list. Regular readers will already be tired of me repeating that the list is not an actual ranking, and more of a representation of certain industry leaders and their networks. To not go back and take my time really experiencing the menu would however have been foolish. So I did go back and there is no doubt, that Tag deserves to be among the most interesting, worthwhile and exciting bars in Europe. Apparently the many months since their opening have given the team time to find their rhythm, align their ideas and be different enough not to fly too close to the other greats. The explosive combination of Trust, Neon and Tag, TNT for short, will only increase their impact in the coming years, especially with Neon representing Poland for the World Class 2023. There are people coming from Asia admitting, that they have noticed Poland gaining more attention, even compared to its Western neighbors, all thanks to awards and lists.
I am sure that there are a lot of people who appreciate Tag for its ability to create custom cocktails and to make classics according to a close enough interpretation of original recipes. For me, however, the most impressive offering is the vision presented in the concise menu. It is based on scenarios of 'What If', which paves the way for subverting expectations. Paired with cartoony, full page illustrations, there is sufficient set-up for guests to understand, that something called a Negroni might not exactly taste like a traditional Negroni. Much like the chef at a fine dining restaurant creating a menu based on a personal interpretation, seasonality and techniques, Tag presents its current 'What If' with that in mind.
What if rain had a sour taste?:
| Tag Tequila Blend
| White Wine
| Lime
| Apricot
| Sage
A sour at its core of aromas, the drink keeps that idea and instead shifts the texture. With a very light foam instead of an espuma and the use of acids instead of the usual citrus juice, it has the strong taste of lemon drops. Intense in its flavor, but also less dense than a juice would be. It is also dangerously approachable. Lovers of Tequila might not be happy about this blend only playing a supportive role, but again it is the concept that takes center stage. Acidity, plus the mineral character of both Tequila and White Wine, make both these kinds of spirits play new roles.
What if you were to drink your last cocktail ever?:
| Bulleit Bourbon
| Dry Vermouth
| Campari
| Olive Oil
| Basil
| Tomatoes
| Grana Padano
‘What if the Negroni was invented in Little Italy’. While that is not the official description of this cocktail, it might be a fitting one. Bourbon is supplemented with spices, tomato, oil, and cheese to form a culinary unit that does taste like Italian antipasti without being quite as heavy. As is often the case with Negronis, Boulevardiers and that style of drink, it lingers a little too long on the bitterness, but the 'food pairing' in the form of a cracker and basil helps. Using a Bourbon is a brave choice that pays off here. A pattern emerges in the drinks, as all of them go well with each other, do not fill you up and do not drown your senses. It truly would have been possible to serve 5 or 6 drinks as courses of 'Fine Drinking', from a light Sour, to a stimulating Negroni, to a full Espresso Martini. It shows, in my opinion, a new level of teamwork and conceptualization, that is often lacking, even in very good bars.
What if the world was made of concrete?:
| Singleton Of Dufftown
| Elderflower
| Cut Grass
| Wood Sorrel
The idea here was to create a drink of the post-apocalypse, so to speak. A drink grown out of the concrete wasteland after an ecological disaster. Dufftown Whisky goes with sweet floral liqueur to create a honey sweetness that still retains a good amount of spirit. On top of the drink is a selection of leaves that change regularly. These are grown by Siejemy, a project focusing on raising plants under difficult conditions. They add a dry, grassy note, which together with the honey and floral impressions really create the image of a spring day in a place where nature is recovering. Somewhere else they might have used Gin to pair with the elderflower, but the Whisky here adds this Speyside sweetness, balancing nature and craft.
What if Espresso Martini was created in Asia?:
| Tag Rum Blend
| Miso
| Caramel
| Sesame
| Coffee
| Amaro Averna
Polish bars are especially skilled when it comes to drinks incorporating coffee. This is no exception. Just as the Trust, Tag is also using Dobra Palarnia beans to make their coffee, which is then part of different drinks. The homemade cold brew here is so well suited to go into a drink (Using a fresh Espresso or, even worse, filter coffee, can easily dominate a drink with bitterness or loose a lot of flavor after being cooled down and shaken). The Rum Blend enhances the caramel sweetness and is an obvious step up from any kind of infused vodka. We are hearing all about 'Umami', when in fact very few drinks ever deliver that magical combination of taste. This coffee based drink however gets things right, as its malty notes go hand in hand with the corn and savory herbal influence of the Amaro.
I also tried one of the 'old' drinks still on the menu, 'Scream' (From a, you guessed it, menu inspired entirely by artworks. Or maybe it was inspired by those slasher movies, just switch the red splatter on the wall with yellow). A very balanced and round Negroni twist with Aquavit, Campari, a Vermouth Blend, Lingonberry, and Cheese on top. The ambassadors from Bareksten, who is producing the Aquavit, were, on another day, one of many guest shifts at Tag and delivered an absolutely amazing experience. Being well-connected, they might have replaced Trust as the go-to bar for events in Poland, hosting noteworthy visitors from all over the world (The Clumsies Bar, Paradiso Bar, Donovan Bar, Law&Order Bar and the list grows weekly). Tag in its current form needs acceptance of the performance offered and agreement with the subversive nature of its drinks. If you are a lover of Single Malt in all its varieties or classic cocktails made according to old recipes, then Tag might not be what you are looking for. But it does represent a technical spearhead of bars in Poland, a whole team of talented people bringing their signatures to the menu and a consistently sharper focus. If you get the chance to go, arrive a little earlier and take the time trying as many different drinks as possible. If you haven't had enough of bars in Kraków, do take a look at the city category at the top of our bar page.
Cheers /jf
